Ulric
Ulric, God of Battle, Wolves, and Winter Description Ulric is the god of battle and destruction, the patron of wolves, and the spirit of winter. He is portrayed as a massive warrior, armoured in the style of the barbarians who inhabited The Empire several centuries ago, and wearing a silver-grey wolf-skin cloak. He can also take the form of a huge silver-grey wolf. Ulric is a distant, harsh, and unforgiving god who expects his follwers to stand on their own two feet, putting their faith in martial prowess. He despises weakness, cowardice, and trickery and expects his followers to always take the direct approach to solving a problem. Alignment Neutral. Symbol The symbol of Ulric is the wolf; wolf-head medallions are worn by many of his followers and the design is also used as decoration on weapons and armour. Some followers of Ulric wear wolf-skins as cloaks. Clerics wear black robes with white wolf-head emblems on the breast and trimmed with wolf-skin. Area Of Worship Ulric is mainly venerated in the north of The Empire, but his cult is also found in other parts of the Old World, especially among warriors. Temples The main temple of Ulric is in Middenheim, though temples are also found throughout the northern and eastern Empire. There are smaller chapels and shrines to Ulric elsewhere in the Old World, in barracks and fortresses, but it is only in The Empire that Ulric's religion is formally organised. Temples in towns and cities of The Empire occasionally send tribute to Middenheim and all followers of Ulric are expected to make a pilgrimage there at least once in their lives. Temples to Ulric are normally square, with a central dome and decorative battlements around the roof. They are always strongly built of stone, normally without any exterior decoration, with the exception of a wolf's-head relief over the doorway. This is usually set in a shallow porch, supported by two plain stone pillars. The interior is lit by a series of small apertures in the dome and by a fire which burns continually in a circular hearth. Behind the fire, against the rear wall, is a statue of Ulric, usually seated and sometimes flanked by a pair of wolves. These statues are normally at least life-size and made of stone, but in older temples they may be of painted wood. Benches are set along the walls and weapon racks are set either side of the doorway. The priests' quarters and other rooms are situated behind the temple itself and are reached through a door in the back wall. The temple to Ulric in Middenheim is a vast castle. The keep is the main temple, capable of holding up to a thousand worshippers at a time, and there are many lesser temples and private chapels running off from it. The priests' accomodation and other functional rooms are on the upper floors, while the outer bailey of the castle is given over to accomodation and training facilities for pilgrims and visiting priests. Shrines to Ulric tend to be smaller versions of the temples, with a small statue of the god behind a lamp or small hearth, which is tended by the shrine's attendants or by passers-by. Friends And Enemies The followers of Ulric tend to be dour and self-contained and have no close associations with other cults; by and large, they leave alone and are left alone. They do have friendly relations with some Druids, particularly those whose patron spirit is the wolf. WIth Ulric's accent on strength, directness, and martial prowess, there is often friction between his followers and those of Ranald, who are considered cowardly and underhand; this seldom develops into open hostility, although Ulric's temples have been known to take an active role in the persecution of Ranald's cult in areas where it has been proscribed. Holy Days Ulric has three main holy days: the autumn equinox, the winter solstice, and the spring equinox, marking the beginning, middle, and end of winter respectively. The spring equinox was formerly the major festival, marking the beginning of the campaigning season, but it is now on par with the other two. It is also customary for a ruler or general to declare a holy day in Ulric's honour at the start of a camapaign or military exercise and at the foundation of a new fort or castle. Holy days are generally spent holding military parades and displays, with huge bonfires and feasting into the night. Cult Requirements Followers of Ulric must follow military careers or at least careers which involve fighting. Characters must have completed at least one Warrior career before becoming Initiates. Initiates and Clerics of Ulric must continue to earn a living in military pursuits until the cult sees fit to attach them to a particular temple. Strictures All Initiates and Clerics of Ulric must abide by the following strictures: *Never refuse or question an order from a superior authority, except where to obey would lead to another stricture being broken. *Never refuse a direct challenge to combat or to any other kind of contest. *Never resort to lying, cheating, or any other kind of trickery. This does not include attacking from ambush or using camouflage. *Wolf-skin may only be used on clothing by characters who have killed the wolf themselves, using only the weapons provided by nature. *Gunpowder weapons, explosives, incendiaries, and crossbows are prohibited. All other types of weapons and armour are permitted. *The fires in temples and shrines to Ulric must never be allowed to go out; it is said that, if they do so, the next winter will last a full year. Spell Use Clerics of Ulric may use any Petty Magic and Battle Magic spells. Cause Frenzy and Cause Hatred may only be cast on willing characters and even these must make a Magic test, with a -10% modifier. Skills In addition to the normal skills available to Initiates and Clerics, followers of Ulric may acquire one of the following skills each level. Characters may choose which skills they wish to acquire, paying for them with Experience Points as usual. The skills are: Augury, Disarm, Dodge Blow, Frenzied Attack, Scrying, Scapulomancy, Strike Mighty Blow, and Wrestling. Additionally, a character becoming a Cleric of Ulric automatically receives Charm Animal skill (with respect to wolves only), without having to spend Experience Points. Clerics of Ulric have a 1% chance of gaining Oracle skill and a 2% chance of gaining Visionary each time they rise in level; these skills cost 100 experience points each. Trials Trials set by Ulric are almost always of a martial nature. A character might be required to kill a monster that is terrorising an area or to clear out a nest of outlaws. The gamesmaster may allow a character to undertake a particularly dangerous or difficult trial with a group of willing associates. Blessings Skills favoured by Ulric include Disarm, Dodge Blow, Frenzied Attack, Heal Wounds, Lightning Reflexes, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike To Injure, Strike To Stun, Very Resilient, Very Strong, and Wrestling. Favoured tests are Fear, Frenzy (on which the modifier is negative!), Loyalty, Reaction, Strength, and Terror. Other blessings might include a temporary increase to WS. Category:Rules Category:Religion